WATERBURY, Vt. (AP) – A man who kept two monkeys as pets was charged Tuesday with illegally importing and possessing them, and they were seized by the state, authorities said.
One was a Rhesus Macaque, an Asian species; the other a Debrazza’s Monkey, originally from Africa.
John W. Aszklar, 56, of Eden, was charged with unlawful importation and possession of an exotic wild animal. If convicted, he could faces $2,000 in fines and a three-year loss of hunting and fishing privileges in Vermont.
Vermont state game wardens had been tracking Aszklar and the monkeys for about two years, getting tips about their whereabouts. “Every time they would check out the tips, he would be gone,” said Darren Allen, a spokesman for the Agency of Natural Resources.
“Illegal wildlife that is imported into Vermont poses a serious threat to human and domestic animal health and safety,” said Col. Robert Rooks, director of law enforcement for the Agency. “Many well-meaning people may think it would be exciting to own an exotic wild animal, but they do not recognize the risks to them and to the animal.”
The monkeys will be taken to an exotic wild animal rescue organization outside Vermont, Rooks said.
AP-ES-06-12-07 1732EDT
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